บท 33: Potions and Perspectives
The trio settled into their seats for lunch, a subtle exchange of meaningful glances passing between Ron and Hermione. Intrigued by the day's events, they both turned their attention to Harry, seeking details about the surprise in the History of Magic classroom with Professor Lupin. Harry promptly recounted the unfolding of his first visit to the Burrow, and as he finished, Hermione found herself overcome with emotion, tears welling in her eyes, while Ron wore a solemn expression.
Feeling the need to reassure his friends, Harry opened up about the love and care he received from his adoptive family. He shared anecdotes of how his parents, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, had showered him with affection and indulgence. The trio's conversation then shifted to the recent Diagon Alley shopping trip with Sirius, where Harry had to maintain a poker face, fearing that Sirius might impulsively purchase anything that caught his interest.
This prompted Hermione to think into a more personal inquiry, directing her attention to Harry she asked why he had said that him using his wand might be dangerous. Initially hesitant, Harry eventually decided to confide in them. He recounted the unsettling incident at Ollivanders.
"I'll show you guys my wand properly later. If I take it out here it will draw too much attention to me much like that charms class that day."
Both Ron and Hermione nodded with the hint of excitement in their eyes. Just as they were about to start eating they heard an owl screech. Everyone looked up to see a grey owl flying in with a brown package. The owl seemed to be quite tired as it was having struggle flying.
Ron quietly told Harry that the owl was from his home and was named Errol. They watched Errol as he flew to Harry and was about to crash into the plate of food, when Harry with a flick of his hand slowed down the owl in mid air and added a cushioning charm, so that it landed safely in the air above Harry's plate. Harry quickly relieved Errol of the package and letter then cast a small healing charm on the owl to quickly relieve it of its fatigue. Errol stood up and hooted a thanks before gulping down some water and food from Harry's plate. Harry put the parcel and letter aside and quickly cast a charm on Errol to make sure he made it to the Burrow without any mishap. He added another charm to constantly provide Errol energy for his flight back.
Harry then turned to the package as Errol flew away. It was wrapped with brown covering with a letter attached to it. He quickly took the letter and opened it. Turns out it was from Mrs. Weasley.
"Dear Harry,
I trust this letter finds you in improved health. I asked about you to Sirius, who informed me that you've been discharged from the hospital and returned to Hogwarts. You gave us quite a fright, young man. Please refrain from putting yourself in danger again.
Regarding the fudge you requested in your previous letter, I regret not having the chance to deliver it in person. I've included some with this letter. Additionally, Ginny is genuinely appreciative of the gift you sent her. While your generosity is heartwarming, please know you needn't have gone to such lengths. I've taken the time to explain the attributes of the Luminaflora Diurna to her, as per your request.
Take good care and stay out of trouble, dear.
Warm regards,
Molly"
Harry read the letter smiling to himself. He gave the letter to Ron to show what Mrs. Weasley had written and took the parcel. He was definitely not sharing this with anyone. He kept his plate on the parcel and finished his lunch. Ron and Hermione snickered watching Harry behave like a child. Ron was internally glad that his family meant this much to Harry.
Soon the trio finished lunch and went back to their common room for the 30 minutes of break they had. As soon as they reached the common room, Harry hurried up the stair to his dormitory and placed the box of fudge on his bedside table drawer. Closing the drawer, Harry put all kind of security wards on the drawer before coming out. When he said that he was not going to share the fudge, he had meant it.
Hermione and Ron were sitting in the common room sofa. Hermione had the potions book propped up against her leg as she read about today's content beforehand.
"Quite taken with that fudge aren't you mate? Is it that delicious?", Ron smirked.
Harry chuckled as he settled next to Ron and Hermione on the sofa in the common room. Ron's teasing about the fudge didn't faze him; he was determined to savor every bite of Mrs. Weasley's homemade treat in solitude.
"You wouldn't understand, Ron. Your mother's cooking is in a league of its own." Harry quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye as he defended his decision to keep the fudge to himself.
Hermione glanced up from her potions book, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "I must admit, Harry, your dedication to protecting that fudge is quite impressive," she remarked, her tone laced with amusement.
Harry grinned in response, feeling a sense of satisfaction at Hermione's acknowledgment. "Well, you know what they say, Hermione. Some things are just too good to share," he replied, his voice tinged with playful defiance.
Ron chuckled, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Alright, mate. Suit yourself. But don't come crying to me when you're craving more and it's all gone," he teased, earning a playful shove from Harry.
As they whiled away the remainder of their break in the cozy confines of the common room, Harry couldn't help but relish in the simple joy of good company and the anticipation of indulging in Mrs. Weasley's delicious fudge later on, all to himself.
As they made their way to the dungeons, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione with a proposition that sparked excitement and anticipation.
"Ron, now that you're serious about learning, I want to teach you guys more advanced stuff. Are you interested?" Harry's voice held a hint of enthusiasm, eager to share his knowledge with his friends.
Hermione's reaction was immediate and exuberant, her hand tightly gripping Harry's as she jumped up and down with excitement. Her enthusiasm was contagious, affirming Harry's decision.
Ron, on the other hand, wore a blank expression as he processed Harry's proposal. His response came slowly, tinged with uncertainty. "You mean everything you know?" Ron's question hung in the air, reflecting his cautious optimism.
Harry nodded, a reassuring smile playing on his lips. "Not everything. I'll teach you guys somethings I know, but it might not be easy. And that's okay. We have seven years at Hogwarts. With a solid understanding of magical theory, I'm confident you'll be able to master everything I teach."
Ron's reaction was nothing short of jubilant, his face lighting up with excitement. "Bloody Hell, Harry! Why wouldn't I want to learn? Absolutely yes!" Ron's enthusiasm mirrored Hermione's, reflecting his eagerness to delve into the world of advanced magic.
Harry smirked, pleased with their responses, as they entered the Potions classroom and took their seats. While he had no intention of delving into illegal or dark arts he knew, he was determined to equip Ron and Hermione with the skills they needed to navigate the challenges ahead at Hogwarts.
Professor Snape entered the classroom as usual and started with the roll call. He looked up at Harry when he answered, with the faintest concern in his eyes. Putting the parchment down, he started the class.
"Today we will learn how to brew the Wiggenweld Potion. Now who here can tell me about about this potion?"
Harry raised his arm and so did Hermione.
"Yes Potter"
"The Wiggenweld Potion possesses healing properties capable of sterilizing wounds and addressing minor injuries. Additionally, it served as the antidote for any Sleeping Draught and the Draught of Living Death."
"A good answer Potter." Ron and Hermione were shocked that Snape had praised Harry. But Harry just smiled as he came to know that things will be better between them from now on. He had no idea that Snape had gone to visit him at the hospital.
He sat back down as Professor Snape continued to go through a brief history about the potion and the way it is supposed to be brewed. After lecturing them, he then asked them to start brewing.
Everyone started their brewing as Professor Snape went around the room, commenting at the the students work. Harry did not follow the exact steps listed in the book as he had found that those steps were inconsistent in the reward. Sometimes it yielded a good potion and sometimes it did not.
With a flick of his hand, Harry adjusted the flame beneath his cauldron, watching as the water inside began to dance in anticipation. As the liquid reached a vigorous boil, he carefully retrieved three shimmering unicorn hairs. With a deft hand, he dropped them into the cauldron, their essence immediately melding with the water.
Next came the Murtlap essence, its pungent aroma filling the air as Harry added precisely seven drops to the mixture. With a whispered incantation, he stirred the potion clockwise, feeling the subtle currents of magic respond to his touch. With practiced precision, he added eleven drops of honeywater. With a final flourish, he stirred the concoction one last time before stepping back, allowing it to simmer and meld.
Professor Snape was watching Harry brew his potion a little different from the instructions in the book. But Harry's actions soon made him smirk as he came to know what he was doing. Snape being exceptionally gifted at Potion making, had always found the instructions in the text to be subpar. So he had always experimented with the instructions and had devised better ways of getting the desired results. And here Harry was doing the same thing, according to the instructions in the book, the quality of the potion could entirely be said to be dependent on the luck of the student as the instructions didn't give out the intricate details but a vague one. Which results in the results to be vary largely.
The steps Harry was following was would guarantee a top grade Wiggenweld Potion every single time. This made Snape smirk as he came to know that he had seriously misjudged Harry before based on his spite for James. He made his way towards Harry's potion to see his potion while pretending to check on the students.
Harry looked inside his cauldron and smiled happily. The potion had gone a shimmering azure hue, indicating that the potion was complete and ready. Harry removed the flames with a snap of his fingers and let the potion cool down. The time that he had let the potion simmer had been used to check on Hermione and Ron's potions.
Snape came and peered into Harry cauldron and was pleased to see the Harry had brewed the perfect Wiggenweld Potion; not that he would show it though.
"Potter, why did you not follow the steps given in the book?"
"Professor, from what I have experienced is that the steps given in the book had always been vague and had never revealed the intricacies that went into making the potion. Some of the times it also has wrong steps in it. That's the reason I didn't follow the book steps"
Snape smiled internally. At least one person understood potions in this class.
"Then how are you sure of your steps? Didn't you think that the wrong step could have put the nearby students in danger?"
"I knew my steps were safe because I have experimented with potions before. Also I constantly keep using my magic to check on the potion to see if it is wrong, sir"
Snape was super pleased but he didn't show it. He just grunted and went around checking other student potions. By the end of the class, only Harry had been able to make the perfect Wiggenweld Potion. Both Ron and Hermione came close but it could at most be considered a medium grade Wiggenweld potion. With that Snape dismissed the students from the class. As everyone left,
"Potter, a word" Snape called out.
Harry motioned Ron and Hermione to wait outside and turned to Snape.
"Yes sir?"
"How are you now Harry?", Snape asked with what seemed like concern in his voice. Harry was taken aback at Snape calling him by his name, but didn't show it on his face.
"Yes sir, I am fine. I do have some pain in my body, but it is inevitable due to the fact that my magical reserves are not full yet"
Snape nods and turns to his desk and starts rummaging through the drawers. He pulled out a small transparent vial filled with a reddish yellow potion and handed it to Harry. Harry took it with a questioning gaze.
"This little potion is called Vigorium. It is an original potion that I had developed in my school days. It will help you recover your magic faster. Every morning when you wake up, you must take it. It will refill automatically when you open the stopper."
Harry couldn't think of what to say. He did think that his relationship with Snape would be better but this is something else entirely.
"I can't show you any favouritism Harry, at least not in public. Nor can I show people that we are on good terms now. You might not understand this now, but I hope someday you will."
Harry nodded at that. And then suddenly his mind fired off. Of course, Snape was a death eater and there were several students here who are the sons/daughters of death eaters. Even if Snape was a spy for Dumbledore, he couldn't not openly support Harry. As it would make Voldemort come for Snape, and Snape still was not lifted of the dark mark. Harry could try to remove the mark, but he couldn't as of this moment because of the lack of magic and his lack of experimenting with dark magic.
So he just thanked Snape and went off to join Ron and Hermione who were waiting outside and they made their way back to their dormitories.
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